It's hard to stand out at zine fairs. As hippies, indies and students flock to these culturally enriching events – purses full of loose change, stomachs full of Chai Lattes and excitement bursting at the seams – it's not easy for a zine creator to fight off competition and claim the limelight for themselves. Unless, of course, they've got something special going for them, which AmandaPandaJapanese clearly does.

We aren’t talking about the Marc Jacobs range here; the world’s fascination with ‘Babydoll’-style attire has extended far beyond the reaches of its origins in Tokyo’s Harijuku district. It’s actually becoming an oddly tasteful style, in moderation. Take Miss Lyndel Yeo’s Award Winning Spring/Summer 2008 collection for example. Whilst toning the level of smut associated with the ‘Babydoll’ scene down to near non-existent, Yeo should also be commended upon her creating a seasonal style so exclusively signature, half the fun of wearing the garment is found in its uniqueness. Furthermore, her ‘Babydoll’ skirt and/or dress is the tip of a vast and well-clad iceberg.

The humble bowerbird may seem like an innocuous creature, but for jewellery designer Kyo Hashimoto its meticulously constructed nest provided a wealth of inspiration for her latest collection Seducing the Bowerbird.

Whilst some prefer to hang from their shoulders the likes of Guess and Coach (please, please no), and others love to decorate their thin little arms with the masterpieces of Salvatore and Balenciaga, I’m the kind of uni student who requires nothing more (at this stage in life) than a solid, spacious and undeniably stylish bag to drag about my books and emergency shoes. At the moment I’m using a cloth bag that states ‘I love dairy goats’ and bears a patchwork billy on the front. Last week I used my mother’s maternity bag from 1991. Next week I’m quite sure it’s going to be one of emerging designer Alison Rose’s quirky concepts.

There comes a time when your inner fashionista grows tired of seeing the same ‘If found return to Tiffany’s’ slogan hanging from every man and his dog’s neck (no extended metaphor intended – I promise).  I’ve always thought a ‘trinket’ was ‘a small item, precious to the owner as a result of sentimental or aesthetic value’, however it seems that the trinkets we decorate ourselves with nowadays represent conceited socio-economic status.

Throughout the decades, songwriters have hit home with lyrics that entice the listener to think ‘I know, man, and I understand’. The 1970’s song ‘Pure Imagination’ from film ‘Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory’ was never supposed to be one of those home-hitting tunes.

White faces, slicked hair and black lips adorned the straight faces of some twenty models during this year’s Independent Runway, sponsored by MINI. Whilst I hardly recommend this as a street-wise look, the makeup did in keep with a predominantly asexual theme, which shone through in some eight of the…

When you hear the word fashion, the image that readily comes to mind is that of a woman looking glamorous and chic in the latest designer ensemble. After all, women do make the fashion industry such a lucrative business. But, on the contrary, it cannot be denied that guys have…

Featured at the L’Oreal Fashion Festival this year, Melbourne’s ‘Fool’ is bringing a whole lot of knit to Winter 2008. With a store in Prahran, Melbourne, Fool is also literally dripping with strong, solid colours. Abandoning the usual array of fluro and pastel, Fool use fuchsia, tomato-red, rich yellows and…

There’s nothing worse than the ritual of waking up in the morning, and having to pick something comfortable, trendy, yet cleverly understated to wear all day. Furthermore, the item in question has to be event-durable. It has to be capable of appearing casual and carefree for spontaneous picnics, light and…